By Amy Reast via SWNS
A schoolboy who was going blind can now see thanks to life-changing eye surgery.
Mamadou, seven, was born with bilateral cataracts – which would eventually leave him blind.
The schoolboy, from Waterloo, Western Area, Sierra Leone, struggled to walk because he would trip over objects and he couldn’t see well enough to read or write.
In the UK, babies born with cataracts would have been operated on at six weeks old.
Salematu, Mamadou’s mother, tried to seek surgery for him at her local hospital but was told he was too young – and as time passed his vision worsened.
Then Mamadou and Salematu discovered that charity Mercy Ships had docked its hospital ship, the Global Mercy, in Freetown, Sierra Leone to provide safe surgeries for free.
The little lad went under the knife in February, for a surgery which gave Mamadou his vision back.
Sweet video footage shows the moment Mamadou could see for the first time.
Salematu said: “Unlike before, he can now move around without jumping his steps or falling, even when the sun is out.
Mamadou struggled with his vision from birth but wasn’t able to access medical care.
He would be treated badly by children at school because he needed to hold someone’s hand whenever he needed to walk around.
She said prior to his surgery: “Whenever I look at my son, I feel sad.”
Things started to look up after Salematu discovered Mercy Ships could help.
Coincidentally, this uncle received a hernia surgery from Mercy Ships many years ago.
The volunteer ophthalmic team manager, Ella Hawthorne from New Zealand, still remembers her first encounter with little Mamadou.
She said: “Meeting Mamadou during patient selection here in Sierra Leone was just special.
“He is wonderful and quiet at first, but once you get to know him more, he comes out of his shell and engages you.”
Volunteer ophthalmic surgeon, Dr Rudalevicius, from Lithuania, highlighted inherited cataracts and malnutrition as common causes of the condition.
Surgery for the seven-year-old was not only going to be life-changing but also time-sensitive – without timely surgery, Mamadou would never be able to regain his sight.
The doctor said: “If the cataracts are not removed soon enough, the brain can never learn to see, even if the cataracts are removed.”
Assisted by a team of medical volunteers, Dr Rudalevicius performed a manual small incision cataract surgery on February 7.
The operation took just two hours yet made a lifelong impact as it represented the start of a new vision and future for Mamadou.
Just the next day, Mamadou’s eye patches were removed.
Salematu had said: “My son can see me! My son can go back to the community and interact with other children!”
Mamadou’s brain was not yet used to processing such a high level of visual activity – but after seeing the crowd around him smile and wave, Mamadou quickly joined in.
Mamadou was given a pair of UV sunglasses to help stabilize his new vision and started playing with toys and coloring.
A month later, Mamadou returned to the ship with his mother and is doing better than ever.
Salematu shared her hope that Mamadou will one day grow up to become a medical doctor and make a difference of his own.
